Comic Book Publishing
« Previous Entries[Comic Book Publishing] - How Much Should You Spend to Produce a Comic Book?
Monday, July 28th, 2008It’s an oft-asked question in the comic book industry, but it’s an important one:
How much should a publisher spend on the production of a comic book?
Believe it or not, there’s no standard answer in the industry, and the fees that writers, artists, letterers and editors are paid varies widely between companies. Obviously, Marvel and DC [...]
[Comic Book Publishing] - 5 Ways Comic Books Can Cheat Death
Monday, July 21st, 2008In my previous article, “5 Reasons Comic Books Must Change or Die,” I offered several elements that are contributing to the death of the comic book industry. But today, I’m going to outline some ways that comics can change for the better… and cheat death to live on in the digital era.
But first, let’s take [...]
[Comic Book Publishing] - 5 Reasons Comics Must Change or Die
Saturday, July 19th, 2008A friend recently told me that comic books are going through a renaissance lately, and that they’re on their way back to becoming mainstream.
“Really?” I asked. This was news to me — from what I have seen over the last decade, sales in the comic book industry are growing marginally at best, and they’re nowhere [...]
[Comic Book Publishing] - How Comic Books Came to Be What They Are Today (and How It Affects A Publisher)
Sunday, June 29th, 2008Thinking about publishing comic books? You might want to think again after you read this article. Comic books have a long and interesting history, and the format we read today is a result of many different choices that were made along the road.
Believe it or not, the format we use for comics today happened as [...]
[Comic Book Publishing] - The Business Side of Comics
Thursday, May 29th, 2008Have you ever thought about creating your own comic book?
If my experiences in the industry reflect the population as a whole, I’d guess that hundreds of thousands of people have. And many of them have actually attempted to do it, whether they’ve created an amateur book to print at Kinko’s or gone through the process [...]
Creating Comics, Part 5: Creativity vs. Marketability
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007I’m a marketing guy, but I’m also a creative guy, as anyone who’s had to sit and listen to one of my “no, really, this is my greatest idea ever!” outpourings can attest. I’m great at coming up with new ideas, but I also have a sensibility about whether those ideas are actually worth developing. [...]
Creating Comics, Part 4: Comic Books vs. Graphic Novels
Monday, August 6th, 2007In recent years, there have been several major shifts in the comic book as a product. Traditionally, comic books were produced inexpensively on newsprint with a limited color range. They were also supported by advertising. Since the 1990s, however, comic books have become increasingly more sophisticated, with high quality glossy pages, a broad range of [...]
Creating Comics, Part 3: Comic Book Marketing
Sunday, August 5th, 2007Read for some in-depth reading? I’ve spent all afternoon prepping this beauty, which will take you on a roundabout tour of how to market a comic book… and how not to. I’ve even got examples of companies who’ve failed, and an explanation as to why they failed.
Hey, don’t let this description hold you up…
Creating Comics, Part 2: Turning Your Script Into a Full-Fledged Comic Book
Friday, August 3rd, 2007If you’re like many comic book creators out there, you’ve got a great idea for a book, but no idea how to turn it into a comic book! Today, I’m going to tell you how to do it. But be prepared for hard work and financial setback — it’s not cheap or easy to put [...]
Creating Comics, Part 1: Understanding the Market
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007When meeting new people, I don’t generally advertise the fact that I’ve worked in comics, because when I do, I’m often approach with the following request:
“I have an idea — could you help me turn it into a comic?”
I hate this question, and it’s not because I don’t like helping people…